Her eyes fluttered open as the early morning sun began to rise, illuminating the bedroom in the deep, pale blue color that she loved. She had never seen the color replicated at any other time. Something about awaking to the paleness of the room made her feel safe, secure in her soul. That was the time of day she felt closest to God, the time of day when His beauty and serenity could be felt. She took a deep breath, her body relaxing into her husband's arms as he continued to sleep beside her.

She had spent a lot of time thinking about her marriage, her feelings toward her husband and herself. They had been through so much together, truly more than she had ever expected for only having really known one another for such a short while. So many events in their lives had overlapped in a way that made it sound terrible if one were to try laying out a timeline, so she shook her head of the thought and decided not to try. It was all in the past anyway.

They had been caught in the web of the events happening in their home for a moment, but she reminded herself that there was still a great threat of the Anschluss looming outside their door. She hadn't spoken to Georg about it since their argument, for obvious reasons, but they did still need to address an action plan. With his very loud disapproval of the state of their country, she knew for a fact he had a target on his back.

He began to stir next to her, pulling her from her darker thoughts. His body felt warm from sleep, his arm draped gently over her waist, and his hand splayed across her lower stomach. She felt secure in his arms, safe and loved. While she had admitted that she did fear him for a moment, she felt nothing but love radiating from him. Perhaps Hede was right, perhaps it was time for them to forgive themselves too.

She was no fool. No matter how much she loved Hede, she knew all of their problems would not suddenly dissolve if they made love, but she understood her point. They desperately needed to reconnect, needed to find their way back to one another, and she knew she would have to make the first move. He was so afraid of himself and what he had done, so afraid to push her or hurt her in any way, that she knew he wouldn't dare try anything. Their relationship began in one another's arms, their courtship in a bed, and she knew that was where they connected stronger than anywhere else. She missed him, missed that version of them where they could spend hours wrapped in one another's bodies, but it was more than that. She missed herself too, the strong, confident woman she had always been. She longed for the past, but she also longed for the future, where they would connect once again and truly start their life together. Most importantly, she was ready to forgive them for not nurturing their marriage as they should have.

She pressed her backside against his pelvis, moving just a bit until she could feel him reacting. He groaned, the hand upon her stomach pulling her closer as he moved against her for added pressure. She bit her lip at the feeling of his erection growing, pressing into her as she pushed harder against him. His lips grazed the back of her neck, so gently she felt she could have imagined it from memory at first. He was hesitant, unsure of how far she would want to take it, but equally unsure if he could stop himself from kissing her skin. She sighed as his lips moved beneath her ear, his fingers gripping her nightgown to stop them from wandering. She slowly took his hand in hers and moved it between her thighs, all the permission he needed to continue.

He moved to hover above her, kissing her with all the love he felt for her, and she quickly wrapped her arms around him to bring him close, his body pressing against hers beneath the white sheets of their bed. She felt his warm hands push up her nightgown, and she sat up just a bit as he slid it over her head, tossing it to the floor before his kiss returned to her lips, his hand caressing her face tenderly. She held him close, their bare chests pressing together, sending excitement through their bodies at the closeness. It had been so long since they last touched, their bodies reacting as if it were their first time.

He began to push down his pants, and she did the same with her panties, both hurrying to toss away the last clothing separating their skin. She rolled them over, bodies still pressed tightly together as she lifted her hips and guided him into her. They both sighed at the connection, so tight and perfect as they became one. He kissed her, running a hand through her hair, as she began moving slowly, their stomachs flexing together. She set a slow pace, a sensual one to make it last.

She gently bit his bottom lip as she pulled away from their kiss, sitting upright and taking him deeper as she moved a bit faster. His hands came to rest upon her hips, squeezing gently as she moved. He loved the feeling of her hips moving on top of him, in his hands. She pushed the blanket from her shoulders, leaving them bare to the morning as she leaned back and rested her hands upon his thighs, sighing at the angle the position provided. Her body perfectly displayed before him, he reached to caress her bare breasts, his fingertips gliding over her erect nipples as he moved downward. He gently caressed her stomach before moving his thumb between her legs, adding pressure above their connection and eliciting a gasp of pleasure from her lips.

She loved the feeling of his heat inside of her, the tightness of their connection, and the way his hands moved all over her skin. His hands were soft yet direct, caressing her in ways that made her shiver. He stopped their movements and rolled them over, kissing her neck as he pulled out of her body. For a moment she was concerned that he didn't want her, that his mind couldn't get past her transgression, but as his kisses trailed between her breasts and over her stomach, she couldn't help but smile in relief, and anticipation.

His tongue parted her, and she couldn't stop a weak moan from escaping her lips. It felt so good to be with him, to be fully taken by him after so much time of uncertainty. Their bodies ached for one another, one touch enough to make them shiver with longing. He nuzzled closer, his tongue moving rapidly against her as he groaned in pleasure at the feeling of her against his mouth. She tasted sweet, more than he remembered, and he swirled his tongue over her opening to taste more of her, her back arching and pushing her closer to him.

He thrust a finger inside her as his tongue flattened, and she came instantly at the combination of pleasure, gasping and gripping the sheets beneath her. Her body convulsed, feeling weak and out of her control as he continued to lap at her until every jolt of pleasure ceased. Her heart pounded vigorously in her chest at her unexpected climax, and he kissed her thighs, his tongue touching her sensitive skin as her center throbbed from pleasure.

She reached down to him, pulling him up the length of her body and wrapping her legs around him, urging him to enter her once more, and he gladly obliged. He buried his face in her shoulder as she held him close, his hips moving between her legs at a rapid pace as his lips caressed the skin of her neck. She ran her hands through his hair, reveling in the feeling of his body moving against hers. Their skin felt hot to the touch, sweat pouring from their bodies as they burned for one another. He suddenly gasped, spilling deeply into her as his climax peaked, his body convulsing against her as she moved her hips to meet his pleasure. Her own stomach jolted at the feeling of his strength between her legs, and she held him tighter between them.

"I love you, Maria. I love you so much." She grasped him tightly, his words sounding breathless as he slowed the movements of his hips. His kiss trailed from her neck, over her cheek, and he finally kissed her lips, softly and sensually. She brought her hands to his face as she pulled away to look into his eyes.

"I love you." She looked deeply into his eyes, making certain with one look that he knew she loved only him, and she would always love only him. He smiled, placing another gentle kiss upon her lips. "Is it too late to start over, Captain?"

"It's never too late for that, Fraulein." They shared a small laugh, and he ran his fingers through her hair. "I feel so blessed to call you my wife."

"I feel the same about calling you my husband. You mean more to me than anyone in the world, Georg."

"I will never hurt you again, Maria. If our wedding vows weren't enough, this is my vow to you right in this moment." She smiled, kissing him once more.

"I know you won't." He smiled as well, relieved that she believed him. She didn't seem to fear him in the slightest, for which he could feel nothing but joy. "And I will never hurt you again."

"I know you won't." She nearly cried at the sound of his voice, so tender and so trusting. They had hurt one another deeply, and while they knew they would never forget and things wouldn't always be perfect, they were moving forward on the road to forgiveness.

To be continued...

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Thank you everyone for staying with this story! Your support and reviews mean a lot, and I appreciate everyone who has taken to time to share their thoughts.

Stay tuned for part three. I couldn't stop writing this storyline, so it has become a trilogy. :)